The Financial Times recently issued a wakeup call about global food supplies. It stated: "Fears of a food crisis swept the world's commodity markets as prices for staples such as corn, rice and wheat spiralled after the US warned of 'dramatically' lower supplies. A hot summer in the US, droughts in countries including Russia and Brazil and heavy rain in Canada and Europe have hit many grain and oilseed crops this year" (Gregory Meyer and Javier Blas, "Fears of Worldwide Food Crisis as US Issues Warning on Poor Harvests," Oct. 9-10, 2010).

The United States has been the world's largest corn grower for a very long time. But this year the American crop was predicted to drop to its lowest level in 14 years. Russia and Ukraine have now imposed severe instructions on grain exports. Also, biofuels programs convert food into fuel, further reducing supplies. Bible prophecy foretells an increase in famines—represented by the third of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse (Revelation 6). (Source: Financial Times [London].)